Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved another milestone with the successful completion of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) landing experiment (LEX) on Sunday. 

This marked the third and final test in the LEX series, conducted at 07:10 IST at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka. This mission, referred to as RLV LEX-03, follows the successful RLV LEX-01 and LEX-02 missions, further demonstrating the autonomous landing capabilities of the RLV under more challenging conditions, ANI reported.

In the RLV LEX-03 mission, the winged vehicle, named ‘Pushpak,’ was released from an Indian Air Force Chinook Helicopter at an altitude of 4.5 km. The mission set a higher bar with a cross range of 500 meters compared to the 150 meters in LEX-02 and operated under more severe wind conditions. From the release point, which was 4.5 km away from the runway, Pushpak autonomously executed cross-range correction maneuvers, approached the runway, and performed a precise horizontal landing at the runway centerline.

The vehicle’s low lift-to-drag ratio aerodynamic configuration resulted in a landing velocity exceeding 320 kmph, higher than the 260 kmph for commercial aircraft and 280 kmph for typical fighter aircraft. After touchdown, the vehicle’s velocity was reduced to nearly 100 kmph using a brake parachute, followed by the employment of landing gear brakes to decelerate and stop on the runway. During the ground roll phase, Pushpak utilized its rudder and nose wheel steering system to autonomously maintain a stable and precise ground roll along the runway.

This mission simulated the approach and landing interface and high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from space, reaffirming ISRO’s expertise in acquiring critical technologies necessary for the development of a reusable launch vehicle. The advanced guidance algorithm, essential for the future Orbital Re-entry Mission, was validated through this mission, catering to longitudinal and lateral plane error corrections.

The RLV-LEX used multisensor fusion, integrating sensors like an inertial sensor, radar altimeter, flush air data system, pseudolite system, and NavIC. Notably, the RLV-LEX-03 mission reused the winged body and flight systems from the LEX-02 mission without any modifications, showcasing ISRO’s capability in designing robust and reusable flight systems for multiple missions.

The mission, led by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), was a collaborative effort involving multiple ISRO centers such as the Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR). It also received significant support from the Indian Air Force (IAF), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (RCMA) under the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Indian aerospace industrial partners, Indian Oil Corporation of India, and Airport Authority of India.

S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO and Secretary of the Department of Space, congratulated the team for their efforts in maintaining success in such complex missions. Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of VSSC, emphasized that this consistent success boosts ISRO’s confidence in the critical technologies essential for future orbital re-entry missions.